Trans Baviaans 2017

[Velouria]

Langs was one of my hardest days on the bike...ever. I literally mean 'day'...we finished in 22 hours that year. We hooked up with another team of guys we knew so were 7 riders going at it together. We had - 3 x broken chains, 2 x guys falling their lights to pieces just before it got dark. 2 x other sets of lights failing around 03.00. Another set running out of battery life at 04.00. One x freehub not engaging unless you stand(luckily only after 190km). One guy falling into a mud pool and vanishing. 5 x punctures and 1 x sidewall cut. Rain. Cold.

Now that's a blog post that needed writing!! Collectively, I don't think I have had to deal with that in 22 years of cycling!

 

How different the same race can be. Langs Baviaans was my best Baviaans yet (I still puked, just on a different hill), but we had a superb ride!

[Nancy Drew]

Langs was one of my hardest days on the bike...ever. I literally mean 'day'...we finished in 22 hours that year. We hooked up with another team of guys we knew so were 7 riders going at it together. We had - 3 x broken chains, 2 x guys falling their lights to pieces just before it got dark. 2 x other sets of lights failing around 03.00. Another set running out of battery life at 04.00. One x freehub not engaging unless you stand(luckily only after 190km). One guy falling into a mud pool and vanishing. 5 x punctures and 1 x sidewall cut. Rain. Cold.

 

We didn't have any of the mechanical issues that you did and we still only finished in 21:50 that year. We entered as a 4 person team and finished as a 2 person team.

[dirtrider]

I think our time was also in the 21+ range . Would not want to do it faster anyways . What's the fun in that ?

[Francis1]

Will be our third one this year and decided to go the single speed route. Going to be tough but we have settled on a 34 oval -16 tooth set up.

[dirtrider]

16 !!! I would put a 18 in the box just before the Fangs , else it's gonna be a long walk .

[Velouria]

Will be our third one this year and decided to go the single speed route. Going to be tough but we have settled on a 34 oval -16 tooth set up.

Why would you do this to yourself? I have 30 gears and often can't the right one!

[jcza]

please help a noob out, is it mandatory to have a support driver or is there a neutral truck for boxes? 

[Warthog]

16 !!! I would put a 18 in the box just before the Fangs , else it's gonna be a long walk .

Also think that thing....

[Velouria]

please help a noob out, is it mandatory to have a support driver or is there a neutral truck for boxes? 

Both.

 

There are unsupported checkpoints where the truck takes your box, and then there are supported checkpoints where you get stuff from your support driver. I have heard of people not having support drivers - check with Wikus.

[splat]

please help a noob out, is it mandatory to have a support driver or is there a neutral truck for boxes? 

We didn't have a support driver last year, we just sent our 3 boxes ahead to the stops with the truck.

If I recall, there are only one or two spots where you see your support people anyway...

[taito]

you do not have to have a support driver

[Hadez202]

If you don't have a support driver, how do you get back to your vehicle in Willomore?

[StefanSn]

Good day,

 

I have a 2 man team entry for The Repeat available.

 

Inbox me.

Entry SOLD!!

[splat]

If you don't have a support driver, how do you get back to your vehicle in Willomore?

There is a vehicle transfer service

 

http://www.transbaviaans.co.za/riders/#tab-id-13

[Sydd]

^{We've done it without a support driver. We were fortunate though that friends of ours had a spare person that could drive our car to the finish, but we didn't see them at the checkpoint for support.}

 

^{If anyone has an entry for two people into the Race weekend, we'd like to purchase an entry please. The stars weren't aligned at online entry time :-)}

[NixM]

Anyone know of bike transport service from Cape Town up to Willowmore?